Applauding the Seahawks for going against the grain

Coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks defied convention when they spent a third-round pick on a quarterback who’s just under 5-foot-11.

“There was nobody that was going to stand on the table and tell you that you should take him,” Carroll told “Brock and Salk” on Monday about the decision to draft Russell Wilson. “[General manager] John Schneider had done his homework and he knew exactly what we were talking about. He showed it to me from way back when and then we validated it again during this past season, saw him in person and all of that.

“We went against what most people would think you should do because we thought that this guy is such a unique talent, and he’s done nothing to disappoint [us].”

Carroll says he has respect for conventional wisdom, but he doesn’t allow it to dictate important decisions.

Naming Wilson the starter over Matt Flynn for Friday’s preseason game against the Chiefs is another example. Carroll made the announcement Tuesday, saying Wilson will start in what is considered the most important preseason game.